Di Bella Sees Hungrier Rodtang After Takeru Loss
Jonathan Di Bella expects a sharper Rodtang Jitmuangnon when the Thai star returns Friday night after absorbing his first knockout defeat inside ONE Championship.
The former flyweight king meets Nong-O Hama in a ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix quarterfinal at The Inner Circle 38, streaming live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on November 13. Rodtang enters off a fifth-round stoppage against Takeru Segawa at ONE SAMURAI 1 in April, marking the first time he has been finished by strikes in the promotion.
Di Bella, who unified the strawweight kickboxing title after rebounding from his own loss to Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK earlier this year, sees the matchup as more crucial for Rodtang than for his opponent. The 30-year-old Italian-Canadian told BJ Penn that the Thai star has more to prove given the circumstances of his last outing.
Why Rodtang's Grand Prix Performance Matters
Di Bella believes the knockout setback puts pressure on Rodtang to deliver a statement performance. "I think he needs a win really bad," the unified champion said, per BJ Penn's report, adding that the defeat could damage the Thai star's career trajectory if not answered convincingly.
The same card features Shimon Yoshinari against Ramadan Ondash, with the victor advancing to meet either Rodtang or Nong-O in the semifinals. Di Bella praised the opening bout for its clash of styles between two rising contenders. Yoshinari brings a perfect 6-0 record in ONE into the fight, while Ondash has strung together consecutive victories since moving up a weight class.
The Inner Circle 38 streams Friday, November 13 from Bangkok.
Photo by Jonathan Tomas on Unsplash
Original reporting:
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